Some documents that are simply signed through the normal course of business are still contracts. These include purchase orders, receipts, and sales agreements, among others. Understanding your end of the bargain is necessary for such agreements, since there may be legal consequences as with any other contract. Accountability for contracts should be anticipated as much as possible.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

A careful reading is necessary before you sign any document. Pay special attention to the terms that outline your responsibilities and duties. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. A Creve Coeur, Illinois attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Illinois?

The words of a contract are the expression of an agreement, not the agreement itself. It is the parties' understanding of the contract as it is made that determines its legal effect, regardless of the specific words used. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms may lead to problems. In Creve Coeur, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Some specific fields, such as finance, pose specific demands that can be time consuming to fulfill. But no matter how complicated the negotiations, the objective of a contract is to give the intent of the parties legal effect under Illinois law.